


Doing it Over

by owenharpersgirl



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Young Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-27
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-01-26 19:31:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 12,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1699931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owenharpersgirl/pseuds/owenharpersgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an encounter with magic Arthur is turned back into a 5 year old boy. Now Uther has a decision to make: Does he wait until his son's back to normal and allow everyone else to deal with it? Or does he fix all the mistakes he made when Arthur was young</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Intro

Merlin and Arthur walked slowly down the path. They had been informed that a lone bandit had been causing trouble and stealing from people on their way in and out of Camelot.

“Why didn’t you bring one of the knights with you?” Merlin asked for the third time.

“I already told you, Merlin, the knights are busy training and I didn’t see any point in interrupting them for one bandit.”

“What about me? What if I was busy?” Merlin complained.

“Oh please Merlin, what could you possibly be doing that would so important?” Arthur said, a hint of joking in his voice.

“Oh, I dunno,” Merlin said sarcastically, “Washing your clothes, polishing your armor, cleaning your room, would you like me to go on?”

“Merlin?”

“Yes Arthur?”

“Shut up.”

“Clotpole,” Merlin muttered under his breath. They continued walking for a short while in silence when a man suddenly jumped out of the bushes and onto the path. Arthur drew his sword and Merlin stepped back a little and looked around at the surrounding forest to see if there was anyone else.

“By order of Camelot I am placing you under arrest for thievery,” Arthur said, the words monotone and memorized. The man just smirked before pointing at Arthur.

“What’s he doing?” Merlin asked quietly. The man opened his mouth as if to speak, there was a bright flash of light, and then he was gone. As was Arthur, or at least, the Arthur that had been standing there a moment ago. In his place stood a blonde, five year old boy.


	2. What Happened?

“Arthur?” Merlin said in disbelief.

“What’s – What’s happened to me?” Arthur asked, his voice much higher than it had been a moment ago.

“I dunno,” Merlin said, “But I think we should head back to Camelot and go see Gaius.” Arthur just nodded, looking like he was going to cry.

“C’mon then,” Merlin said, holding out his hand, unsure if Arthur would take it. The little boy did, apparently this Arthur was more comfortable with holding someone’s hand than the other one. They walked back to Camelot quickly, Arthur stumbling a few times along the way. Merlin wasn’t sure if this was because his legs were smaller or if his mind and actions were also reverting to five years old.

Finally, they made it back to Camelot and hurried to Gaius’ chambers, receiving many funny looks as Merlin walked by with a little boy. They burst through the door, causing Gaius to drop something as he spun around.

“Merlin! What in the world are you – oh, hello there,” Gaius’ tone lightened dramatically when a little boy had run over and hugged him around the waist.

“Who are you?” Gaius asked.

“You don’t – you don’t remember me?” Arthur asked as he stepped back, his bottom lip quivering. He turned to look at Merlin, “He doesn’t remember me. Why doesn’t he remember me?” Merlin stepped forward and bent down so he was at Arthur’s level. Arthur wrapped his small arms around Merlin’s neck and Gaius watched in confusion as Merlin returned the hug and comforted the boy. It was obvious to Merlin that it wasn’t just Arthur’s physical appearance that was five years old again, but his mind was reverting too.

“He hasn’t seen you like this in a long time I know it’s hard but just give him a minute.” Arthur turned around but kept one arm around Merlin. Gaius looked at the boy, he was definitely familiar. The face, the hair, the eyes… realization dawned on him.

“Oh my… Arthur!” Gaius exclaimed, “What happened?” Arthur didn’t hear the question, for he had run forward and hugged Gaius again. This time however, Gaius bent down and picked up the little boy. He looked at Merlin, hoping for an explanation.

“That bandit in the woods, he did something to Arthur. It must have been magic because one minute it was the regular Arthur and then the next, this,” Merlin gestured to Arthur who was still holding tightly to Gaius.

“Oh the King won’t like this,” Gaius said quietly.

“Don’t tell him!” Arthur said loudly, “Please! Don’t tell him!”

“We have to Arthur,” Gaius said gently, “Until we figure our how to turn you back he’s going to wonder where you are if you don’t show up for training.”

“But… I don’t want him to be mad at me,” Arthur said, a few tears slipping down his cheeks.

“Come on now my boy,” Gaius said, rubbing Arthur’s back comfortingly, “Merlin will be there and I will be the one to tell your father what happened, okay? There’s nothing to worry about.” Gaius smiled reassuringly at Arthur, but when the boy looked away, Gaius glanced at Merlin, worry clear on his face.


	3. Telling the King

Gaius and Merlin walked down the hall towards the King’s chambers. Arthur walked in between them, holding onto Gaius’ hand. They reached Uther’s room and knocked.

“Come in!” They heard him call from inside. Gaius opened the door and walked in. Arthur slowed down so he walking behind Gaius and just in front of Merlin who was making sure the young boy didn’t bolt.

“Gaius, what can I do for you my friend?” Uther asked in a surprisingly cheerful voice.

“Sire, Arthur and Merlin arrived back a few moments ago,” Gaius said.

“Oh yes? Did they catch the bandit then?” Uther asked.

“Not exactly my lord,” Gaius said, “It turns out the bandit had magic.”

“Magic?” Uther’s voice had gone cold and his face stern, “What do you mean? What happened?” He looked from Gaius to his son’s servant, and then he saw him.

“Who… is this?” Uther asked slowly as Gaius got Arthur to step forward.

“Hello father,” Arthur said quietly.

“Arthur?” Uther said in disbelief. The King’s face quickly turned from confusion to rage.

“WHAT WERE YOU DOING!” he shouted, “WHY WEREN’T YOU MORE CAREFUL! TAKEN ONE OF THE KNIGHTS WITH YOU? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EXPLAIN THIS? THE PRINCE OF CAMELOT TURNED INTO A TODDLER BECAUSE OF A LACK OF JUDGEMENT!” Uther raged on and Arthur stood their trembling and staring at the ground. Every time the King took a breathe Arthur relaxed a little, but would tense up and flinch when he started raging again. Eventually, Merlin couldn’t just stand there anymore. Even Arthur, Prat of Camelot, didn’t deserve to be shouted at like that, let alone a five year old version of him. Merlin stepped forward and crouched down so he was sitting next to Arthur, who immediately leaned into him, crying.

“Sire!” Gaius said as loud as he could without shouting. Uther finally stopped and looked at the court physician who gestured for him to look at Arthur. The small boy had turned slightly so he pressed up against Merlin who was rubbing his back soothingly. Arthur had his face in his hands and he was shaking as he cried.

“Arthur,” Uther said slowly.

“I’m sorry daddy!” Arthur shouted, his voice muffled by his hands. At that moment, Uther regretted when he had done. Realizing that this wasn’t his grown son, the Prince of Camelot who had been training for years, but his five year old son who he had just terrified.

“Arthur…” he repeated, walking forward slowly and kneeling down in front of his son, “Arthur, I’m sorry.” Arthur uncovered his face but didn’t move any closer to the King. His eyes were red and there were tears streaming steadily down his cheeks.

“Arthur,” Uther reached his hand forward but Arthur flinched away, trembling violently.

“Oh god,” Uther said, standing up and walking back, “My own son is scared of me.” Uther sat down in a chair and buried his face in his hands. Gaius walked over and out his hand on the King’s shoulder, speaking quietly.

“He said he was sorry,” Merlin said quietly to Arthur, “and I know it’s hard to believe but he’s not mad at you. He’s mad at who did this to you, and he’s confused, maybe even more than you. Just give him a chance, okay?” Arthur looked at him and Merlin smiled encouragingly at him. Arthur looked over at his father and Gaius before he slowly started to walk over. Uther and Gaius looked up as Arthur walked closer until he was standing in front of them. He reached his arms up and attempted to climb onto his father’s lap. When he was unable to, Uther reached down and picked up his on. Arthur wrapped his arms around Uther and buried his face in his neck.

“I’m sorry daddy,” he murmured.

“Shhh,” Uther said quietly, switching to a version of himself he hadn’t been in a long time, “I am the one who needs to be sorry. You haven’t done anything wrong Arthur, you understand?” Arthur nodded slightly but didn’t move, keeping his arms around his father. Gaius motioned to Merlin for the two of them to leave, giving Uther and his son some privacy.


	4. Gwen and the Knights

“What do you think happened?” Uther asked Gaius a couple hours later. Merlin had gone to the King’s chambers a few minutes ago to get Arthur so they could go to the council chambers and get something to eat.

“I’m not sure my lord,” Gaius said, “It was obviously magic, powerful magic as his mind has become five years old as well. But, other than that I don’t know.”

“So I take it that means you don’t know how to change him back either?” Uther asked as he watched his son laugh at something Merlin had said. Gaius shook his head, also watching his ward and the prince.

“I’ll try to figure it out sire; there are still plenty of books I’m going through.” The King just nodded.

“You’re… going to have to tell the knights,” Gaius said quietly.

“They will find out when I announce it to the people,” Uther said.

“I don’t mean all the knights sire,” Gaius said gently, “I just mean Arthur’s knights.” Uther nodded, knowing the physician was right.

“Yes,” he said slowly, “Perhaps your ward could go and get them and… I suppose he should bring the maid, Gwen, as well.” Gaius nodded and walked over to Merlin, telling him to get Gwen and the Knights. Merlin left and hurried to the training ground.

“Hey Merlin!” Gwaine shouted, “How’d bandit hunting with the Princess go?”

“The King needs to see you, all of you,” Merlin said to Gwaine, Leon, Lancelot, Elyan, and Percival.

“Merlin? What’s Wrong?” Lancelot asked.

“He just needs to see you, Gwen!” he shouted when he saw her. “The King needs to see you too,” he informed her as she walked over.

“Why?” she asked confused. If he’d said Arthur wanted to see her that was one thing, but what did the King need?

“He’ll explain,” Merlin said as he led the way into the castle. They arrived at the council chambers and walked in.

“Ah, there you are,” the King said, “Alright, this will be announced to the people but as you are all closest to Arthur you should know first. There was an incident when Arthur went to find the bandit.” They all glanced at each, pale and worried.

“What sort of incident sire?” Sir Leon asked.

“Arthur? Come here please,” Uther said in a gentler voice than any of them had heard him use. Arthur walked forward slowly and they all gaped. This couldn’t be Arthur! Not Arthur, Knight and Prince of Camelot! But, it obviously was.

“What happened?” Gwen breathed, “I mean, um, do you know what happened? Sire?” Gwen blushed deeply but then smiled slightly when she heard Arthur giggle.

“The bandit in the forest was a sorcerer, he turned Arthur into a five year old child and we have yet to find out how to turn him back,” Uther told them. “I will be informing the people of this and I will also be informing them he is not to leave Camelot. The only time he is, is if he is with someone in this room. Is that understood?” They all nodded and Uther accepted this.

“Okay, Sir Leon, I want you to go and gather the people. Inform them I have urgent news to tell them of.” Leon nodded again and hurried out of the room.

“The rest of you,” he said, “Stay here with Arthur while I talk to Gaius.” He walked out of the room with Gaius, leaving Arthur standing there in the middle of the room with everyone but Merlin staring at him.

“So,” Gwen said walking forward and crouching down in front of him, “Do you remember me?” He looked down at the ground but then looked back up at her through his bangs and nodded.

“Yes,” he said, “I remember all of you.” This seemed to break the tension in the room because then all the knights moved forward. Percival bent down and picked up the small boy and they started talking to him. About 10 minutes later, Uther walked back into the room and told them the people were starting to gather outside and it was time to go out.

Percival put Arthur down and the young boy walked over and grabbed his father’s hand. Uther looked hesitant for a second before he saw the little smile Arthur’s face and smiled too. They walked outside and Uther had Arthur stand back with Gaius, Merlin, Gwen, and the knights before he addressed the people of Camelot.


	5. The People of Camelot

“People of Camelot!” Uther called to everyone who had gathered around, “As many of you know, there was a thief in the forest who was stealing from those on their way in and out of Camelot. Early this morning, my son, Prince Arthur, and his servant went out to find this man. However, when they did, they discovered he was a sorcerer.’ The people gathered around began whispering to each other, looking worried.

“They were unable to arrest him; however, the knights and guards will be patrolling the towns and surrounding area until he is found. Now, they discovered he was a sorcerer through an, unfortunate, incident.” Uther turned around and gestured for Arthur to join him. Arthur walked forward slowly and then grasped Uther’s hand tightly. The King picked up the small boy and many of the people gasped and stared in shock.

“This is Prince Arthur, through an act of sorcery he was turned back into a child. Until we find the man responsible for this, Arthur will not be leaving Camelot for any reason unless he is with me or someone else who has been informed of this. If anyone should see something unusual, I urge you to speak up at once. The sooner we find this sorcerer, the better.” Uther finished talking and walked away, Arthur still in his arms.

“Daddy,” Arthur said quietly, yawning.

“Yes Arthur?”

“I’m sorry I’m causing so much trouble.”

“You’re not my boy, you’re not,” Uther said, setting him down, ‘Not, why don’t you do with Gaius and get some sleep? I have urgent matters to discuss with the knights.” Uther motioned for the knights and Gwen to follow him without waiting for Arthur to speak.

“Come on,” Gaius said gently, putting his hand on Arthur’s small shoulder, “Let’s go get you into bed.” With that, Gaius and Merlin led Arthur to their chambers where he would spend the night. But what neither of them noticed was Arthur glancing back, wanting nothing more than for his father to go with him.


	6. Brotherly Affection

It had been a long day for everyone. The King was going over procedures that were to be taken with the knights. Gaius was sitting in his chambers, trying to find some way to turn Arthur back in one of his many books, and Merlin was getting Arthur settled into his bed. Not the prince’s own bed, but Merlin’s. They wanted to make sure there was no one trying to kill Arthur before they let him back into his own room.

“So,” Merlin said awkwardly, “I guess you should go to sleep now.” Arthur shook his head and stared at Merlin.

“Aren’t you tired?” Merlin asked him.

“Yes,” Arthur said quietly, “But I’m scared.”

“What are you scared of?” Merlin asked, but Arthur just shrugged.

“I want my daddy to come and stay with me,” Arthur said quietly, looking down at the blanket, embarrassed.

“Your father is making arrangements to make sure you stay safe,” Gaius said gently from behind them. Merlin and Arthur both jumped, neither of them had heard him walk into the room.

“Oh,” Arthur said quietly, “Will you stay with me?” He looked at Merlin, his eyes wide and hopeful.

“Yeah sure,” Merlin said simply. Merlin pulled the chair closer to the bed and saw Gaius leave the room. Arthur moved over on the bed and looked back at Merlin, biting his bottom lip. Merlin laughed quietly and stood up. He sat down on the bed and leaned back. Arthur immediately leaned into him and Merlin put his arm around the boy. He so hoped Arthur remembered this when he was back to normal. He wouldn’t say anything to him now, but when he was back to his normal pratself, well, that was another story.

Gaius walked back into the room a few minutes later, but by that time, both Merlin and Arthur were asleep. He covered them both with the blanket and then left to find Uther.


	7. I Don't Know What to Do

“As I said earlier, we have not caught the sorcerer responsible for Arthur’s sudden… change. So, until we find him or determine that this man is not trying to kill Arthur, there will be several precautions that must be put into place to ensure his safety,” Uther said the knights and Gwen.

“I am planning for him to stay with someone in the room, Gaius, or Gaius’ ward at all times in order to keep him safe. How is he?” Uther asked as he saw Gaius enter the room.

“He’s fine, fell asleep almost instantly,” Gaius informed him and the king nodded.

“Alright, tomorrow morning I will go and get him and bring him to the training ground at noon so all of you can keep and eye on him while Gaius and I attend a council meeting.” They all nodded and Gwen stepped forward slightly, her head bowed.

“What would you like me to do sire?” she asked him and he thought for a moment.

“Arthur’s going to need clothes, there will be some from he was a boy but I’m not sure how much or the condition they will be in.”

“I’ll go find them now my lord and repair any damage,” Gwen said, bowing her head again and walking out of the room.

“The rest of you can go too,” the king said, dismissing them. The knights all left but Gaius stayed.

“I don’t know what to do with him Gaius,” Uther admitted quietly, not looking at the physician.

“You look after him sire, keep him safe and treat him as a five year old.” When Uther didn’t say anything Gaius continued.

“Perhaps this is a chance sire,” Gaius suggested quietly.

“A chance for what?” Uther asked.

“A chance to change things. Forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn my lord but, when Arthur was a boy you sometimes acted as more of a king than…” Gaius trailed off as Uther turned to look at him.

“Than…?” Uther asked.

“More of a king than a father,” Gaius said gently.

“How dare you –” Uther started but Gaius decided to take his chances and speak.

“I apologize for saying this sire but you can’t deny that you sometimes put your duties to Camelot and Arthur’s training before Arthur’s immediate happiness,” Gaius said. Uther looked shocked; it seemed he was wondering if Arthur’s childhood had really been that bad.

“I’m not saying e wasn’t happy sire,” Gaius explained, “or that you weren’t there when he needed you. Just that there were times that were significant to him but perhaps did not seem important to you.”

“Like what?” Uther asked.

“Like putting him to bed at night, chasing the monsters away when he has a nightmare, or just spending the day with him. Having you help him with his training and tell him he’s doing a good job rather than just what’s wrong. They’re small things sire and though they may seem insignificant, they make all the difference to a young child.”

“Why didn’t you say anything about this before?” Uther asked.

“There was a lot happening at that time sire. I said nothing for the first few years of Arthur’s life as you were still dealing with the loss of Ygraine. Then, by the time I felt it was right to approach the topic, it was too late. You and Arthur had gotten into this routine,” Gaius told him.

“I see,” Uther said, “Well, thank you Gaius, you may go.” Gaius bowed his head and took his leave, allowing the king time to think.


	8. Try Harder

The next morning, Uther went to get Arthur from Gaius’ chambers. When he arrived, Merlin was sitting at the table eating breakfast with Arthur. Merlin looked up and, upon seeing the king, stood and bowed his head.

“I need to talk to Arthur,” the king said and Merlin nodded, “Why don’t you see if that maid, Gwen, was able to find some proper clothes for him.” Merlin hurried out of the room and the king sat down across from Arthur.

“Arthur,” Uther started, “I wanted to talk to about something, okay?” Arthur nodded and looked at his father; he could tell this was important.

“You know I’m very busy a lot of the time,” Uther said and Arthur nodded, “and you also know that as King, I have a lot of responsibilities.” Again Arthur nodded, not understanding why he was being told all this.

“I realize that you are only a child and that, perhaps, I have been too hard on you. I am going to try and do my best to spend more time with you and not always put my duties and your training first. Would you like that?” Uther asked.

“So…” Arthur started, looking thoughtful, “You’ll spend more time with me?”

“Yes, I’m going to do my best.” Arthur smiled wider than Uther had ever seen and the boy got up off the chair. He walked around the table and hugged Uther tightly. The king chuckled and then stood.

“Let’s go see if we can find you something to wear other than the clothes you had yesterday.


	9. Two Weeks Later: I'll Protect You

_They were running towards him, getting closer and closer. Their swords held high, ready to strike. Arthur shook Uther’s arm, begging him to get up. But he wouldn’t. Uther’s eyes stared back at him, wide and unseeing._

Arthur awoke and sat bolt upright in his bed, shaking violently. He climbed out of his bed and hurried over to his door. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he pulled open his door to find… no one. Where were the guards? Arthur walked slowly out of his room, trying to be silent and hold back his tears. His fathers chambers were only a couple halls down, surely he could get there, right? Arthur walked slowly down the hall, looking over his shoulder every now and then. Suddenly, there was a sound behind him and Arthur jumped, running down the hall as fast as he could. He collided with something and fell backwards; looking up he saw Sir Leon looking down at him in surprise.

“Prince Arthur? What are you doing out here right now?” Sir Leon asked, helping the young prince back to his feet.

“I… I… I was… look… looking for my daddy,” Arthur said, finally breaking down and crying.

“Did something scare you?” Sir Leon asked, bending down so he was Arthur’s level as Arthur nodded.

“Alright, come on then,” Sir Leon took the young prince’s hand and led him down the hall. He took a deep breathe and then knocked on the heavy wooden door. It was quiet for a moment before the door opened and Uther stood there, looking very displeased at being woken up so early.

“What is the meaning of this?” Uther asked Sir Leon.

“Sorry sire,” Sir Leon said, “But the young prince got lost on his way to find you.” Uther looked down at the mention of Arthur and he looked surprised to see his son standing there.

“Arthur? What happened?” Uther asked, wondering why his son was looking for him in the dark hours of the morning. Arthur, who had been doing his best to act as proper as possible in front of his father, despite the timing, wasn’t able to stop himself from bursting into tears again as soon as his father spoke to him.

“Arthur,” Uther sighed and bent down to Arthur’s eye level. He put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and pulled his son over to him. Arthur immediately wrapped his small arms around his father’s neck.

“What happened?” Uther asked Sir Leon as he stood up, rubbing the small boy’s back as he tried to get him to calm down.

“I’m not entirely sure sire. There was a disturbance outside and I was just coming back from investigating it with some of the guards when he ran down the hall straight into me. He said he heard something and I think it must’ve been the guards on their way back from patrol.”

“I… I… had… a, a nightmare,” Arthur said in between his sobs, “and then I got lost.” He buried his face in Uther’s shoulder again and Uther sighed.

“Alright, thank you Sir Leon, I’ll handle this now,” the king said and Sir Leon bowed his head.

“Of course sire, I shall inform the guards he is with you,” Sir Leon told him, looking shocked at being thanked. Sir Leon walked down the hall, away from the King’s Chambers, as Uther closed the door and waked over to a chair. He sat down, but Arthur didn’t move and Uther ran his hand up and down his son’s back. Arthur eventually shifted and moved his arms from around Uther’s neck to the front f his shirt. His small hands grabbed the material and Arthur could hear his father’s heartbeat from where his head lay, resting on Uther’s chest.

“I’m sorry,” Arthur mumbled and the king shushed him.

“Hush now, don’t apologize,” Uther wasn’t entirely sure of what to say. It had been a long time since he’d had to chase away Arthur’s nightmares and even when Arthur was a little boy there had only been a couple. At least, he thought there had only been a couple.

“But, I thought you said it wasn’t okay to be scared. You said I had to be brave and that I couldn’t let people know I was afraid,” Arthur said quietly.

“I told you that a long time ago, didn’t I?” Uther asked, trying to remember when he’d said those words.

“Yeah,” Arthur said, “and I didn’t wanna be scared but I couldn’t help it.” His voice shook and Uther could tell he was close to crying again. Thinking about what Gaius had said about this being a second chance for the things that mattered, Uther spoke as a father to his son rather than as a king to a prince.

“I think that on that account,” he took a deep breathe, “I was wrong.” Arthur looked up at him in amazement; he had never heard his father say he was wrong before.

“It is okay to be scared, so long as we face our fears and don’t let them control us. You’re allowed to be scared Arthur, but know that I will always protect you and keep you from harm. I will never let anything bad happen to you.”

“But what if you’re not there?” Arthur asked, remembering the blank, unseeing look on his father’s face in his dream, “What if something bad happens to you and you go away?”

“Is that what your dream was about?” Uther asked.

“Yeah,” Arthur said quietly, “You were lying on the ground and you wouldn’t wake up no matter what I did and there was a man and he was gonna attack me and I was scared but you wouldn’t wake up!” Arthur voice gradually rose as he spoke and by the time he was finished, tears were streaming down his face again.

“Oh Arthur,” Uther sighed. He wrapped his arms tightly around his only son as he tried to get him to stop shaking.

“I’m not going anywhere, you understand? I’m not going to leave you; I’m going to keep you safe.”

“But what if you can’t?” Arthur asked and Uther realized he would have to try something else.

“Arthur, will there come a time when I’m not around anymore? Yes, eventually, there will be. But,” he said quickly at the stricken look on the prince’s face, “That time will not be now, nor will it be for as long as you need me. I will always keep you safe; and if I’m not there and something happens, there are people who will. Gaius, Sir Leon, the rest of the knights, even your servant Merlin and the maid Gwen. They would all do whatever it takes to protect you, the same way I would, understand?” Arthur nodded and buried his face in his father’s shirt.

“Tired?” Uther asked and Arthur nodded, “Sleep my son, I promise I’ll keep you safe.” Arthur fell asleep, feeling safe in his father’s arms, but Uther didn’t move. Perhaps Gaius was right, maybe he had been too strict with Arthur when he was a boy. Maybe the little things really did matter. He wasn’t good with emotions but if it made Arthur happy and it helped him then he would do whatever it took to try. They stayed like that for the rest of the night. Uther eventually fell asleep, holding and protecting his son.


	10. A Day Out

It had been a week since Arthur’s nightmare and since then there had been a couple others. Arthur would wake up and slowly make his way down he hall to Uther’s chambers where he would let himself in. Uther had been doing everything he could to keep the monsters away and had decided to take Arthur out for a day to try and tire him out.

“Are you sure you don’t want any of the knights to go with you sire?” Sir Leon asked again as they stood next to the horse.

“I’m sure Sir Leon,” Uther said for the third time.

“Well, how about Merlin then,” Sir Leon suggested as they watched Merlin walking down the steps with Arthur.

“We will be fine Sir Leon,” the king said, exasperated.

“Can we go? Please? Can we?” Arthur asked excitedly.

“Yes, yes, we’re going,” Uther said as he lifted Arthur onto the horse and climbed no behind him. They rode out of Camelot’s walls and rode until they reached a clearing. Uther got down and then helped Arthur off before he tied the horse to a tree. They walked along a path in the forest and Uther showed Arthur all sorts of interesting things. They spent the entire day out and away from the castle and all of Uther’s duties. Arthur had an amazing time and they didn’t head back until just before it got dark.

“That was so much fun,” Arthur said.

“You enjoyed that then?” Uther asked.

“Yeah!” Arthur exclaimed.

“Well good, when we get back to Camelot I need to go see Gaius so you go with Sir Leon to get some dinner alright? I’ll come and get you when I’m finished, understand?” Arthur nodded and they rode the rest of the way to Camelot in silence. When they arrived back, Sir Leon was waiting and took Arthur while Uther left to see Gaius.


	11. Aren't We Friends

Sir Leon took Arthur’s hand and started walking the young prince to Gaius’ and Merlin’s chambers.

“So, Sire,” Sir Leon started, “Did you enjoy your day out with your father?”

“Yes!” Arthur said excitedly, “He showed me all sorts of things! Like, what different animal prints were, and different plants, and where stuff happened! It was so cool!”

“It sounds like it,” Sir Leon said, laughing, “I bet you’re tired after all that excitement.”

“A little,” Arthur admitted, “But I really want to tell Merlin what I did today.”

“Well, that’s where we’re heading now, so you’ll get to tell him everything.”

“Yay!” Arthur said excitedly. They continued walking, Arthur chatting animatedly about his day. However, he was not paying attention to where he was going and tripped, falling hard on the ground despite Sir Leon’s grip on him.

“Sire!” Sir Leon exclaimed, bending down to Arthur immediately, “Are you alright Sire?”

“I – I think so,” Arthur said, though he looked close to tears.

“Well, it doesn’t look too bad,” Sir Leon said, taking Arthur’s hands and examining the shallow scrapes, “I believe you will make a full recovery Sire.” He smiled, trying to make Arthur laugh; instead, Arthur looked confused.

“Why do you keep calling me that?” Arthur asked suddenly.

“Calling you what Sire?” Sir Leon asked, confused.

“That! Sire! Why do you keep calling me Sire?”

“Well, you are the prince and I am a knight.”

“So?” Arthur said, “Merlin calls me Arthur and so does Gaius.”

“Well, Gaius and your father have been friends for a long time and he has known you since your were born. As for Merlin, well, you two are friends and he doesn’t do what he’s supposed to anyway,” Sir Leon said with a smile.

“But aren’t we friends?” Arthur asked.

“Sorry?” Sir Leon asked, taken aback.

“You said Gaius and Merlin call me Arthur cause we’re friends. But you won’t call me Arthur. Does that mean we’re not friends?” Arthur looked genuinely upset at the thought, while Sir Leon looked shocked.

“Well, yes sire, we’re friends, but –”

“Then call em Arthur, please?” the young boy begged, “You call me Sire and it makes me think we’re not friends, and I want us to be friends.”

“Alright,” Sir Leon said, “I’ll call you Arthur from now on, how does tha-” He was cut off from continueing when Arthur jumped on him and wrapped his small arms around his neck.

“Come on,” Sir Leon said, smiling, “Let’s go see Merlin.” Arthur let go of him and nodded happily, pulling Sir Leon along as they continued walking.


	12. The Future is Bright

Uther found Gaius sitting in the council chambers pouring over books and scrolls.

“Have you found anything?” he asked.

“Not yet Sire,” Gaius replied, “But I will keep looking until I do.”

“Alright,” Uther said, “I’ve got patrol out looking for the sorcerer. If we can find him then we can get him to turn Arthur back to normal.”

“Speaking of Arthur…” Gaius said slowly, “How did everything go today?”

“It was…” Uther said, “Interesting. I took him around, showed him different things, talked to him. He was so happy the whole time, I never realized…”

“Never realized what, sire?” Gaius asked.

“I never realized what it mean to him, and to me, to just spend the day together, away from Camelot. It was like I was seeing him for the first time. Not Prince Arthur who follows his duties as knight and prince, but Arthur, my son, Arthur.”

“It’s an amazing thing Sire,” Gaius said with a smile, “Even though he is only a boy right now, he still has such an affect on everyone. As a young man people listen to him because they respect him. Now, they will still listen to what he says because he does not think the way the rest of us do.”

“It was amazing,” Uther agreed, “I’m so used to him agreeing with me, or offering options that seem realistic, but make everyone appear to be evil or to blame, but now…”

“Now, he is looking at it from a child’s perspective,” Gaius finished, “Someone who does not yet understand what true evil is.”

“Yes,” Uther said quietly, looking thoughtful, “You were right Gaius.”

“About what Sire?” Gaius asked.

“About looking at this as a second chance. I won’t ever be able to make up for all the years lost, spent teaching him how to be King instead of spending time with my son. But hopefully he will remember today, and all the days like it before he is back to normal. Then, when he is, I’ll do my best to treat him like my son, and not just the Prince of Camelot.”

“I think he will like that Sire,” Gaius said, “Though Arthur is actually a young man, he still looks for your approval and wants nothing more than to know you’re proud of him everyday.” Uther nodded, deep in his thoughts of how to make the future brighter for his son.


	13. One Week Later: Going Away

“Do you have to go?” Arthur asked from his spot where he sat on his father’s bed, clearly upset.

“Yes, I have to go,” Uther said, looking at the scrolls on his desk, “But I’ll be back soon enough.”

“I want to come with you,” Arthur said, unfolding the clothes Merlin had placed on the bed to pack.

“Arthur, we’ve been over this, you’re too young,” Uther explained for what felt like the millionth time, “There is going to be long discussions that you cannot be a part of, so there is no sense in you coming.”

“But I’ll be really good, I promise,” Arthur insisted, “Please daddy, please let me come.”

“Arthur, I’m sorry, but I can’t. You must stay here with Merlin and Gaius,” Uther said, picking up the scrolls he would need and handing them to Merlin to be packed for the journey.

“Hmph,” Arthur pouted, sitting back and crossing his small arms, his lower lip jutting out in a pout.

“Now, now, enough of that,” Uther said, sitting on the bed in front of the his son, “It’s only for a couple days and then I’ll be back. Besides, the knights said they would start training with you, remember?”

“I’d rather go with you,” Arthur said, playing with the hem of his shirt.

“I know you would, and I wish you could come too. But I’ll tell you what, you stay here and train with the knights and then when I come back you can show me just how good you are, alright?” Uther said, putting his finger under his son’s chin and lifting it so he was looking at him. Arthur nodded reluctantly, knowing he wasn’t going to win.

“Excuse me sire,” a guard said as he stuck his head in the door, “The knights are prepared and ready to go.”

“Alright, I’ll be right there,” Uther said standing and the guard nodded before leaving. Uther looked at Merlin who had just finished packing his things and then turned to his sad looking son.

“Come on,” Uther said, holding out his hand and Arthur looked up, his expression hopeful, “I was hoping you would walk with me outside.” Arthur’s face fell, but he reached up and slid his small hand into his father’s larger one and then jumped off the bed. They walked outside, Merlin following closely behind.

“All ready to go Sire,” one of the knights said as Uther approached.

“Very good,” Uther replied, watching as Merlin secured his pack to the horse’s saddle.

“Alright, I will see you in a few days,” Uther said, squeezing his son’s hand gently and then ruffling his blonde hair. Arthur wrapped his arms tightly around his father who patted his son’s back gently, still unsure and slightly uncomfortable of showing affection for his son so publicly. The small boy let go and stepped back, grabbing Merlin’s hand as he watched his father and some of the guard ride off.

“He’ll be back before you know it,” Merlin told the boy comfortingly. Arthur just nodded, looking down at his feet.

“Come on,” Merlin said, picking Arthur up, “Let’s go find the knights so you can start training.”


	14. Arthur's First Training Day

Arthur and Merlin walked over to the training grounds; Arthur getting more and more excited at the prospect of learned to fight. Merlin was excited too; he had only ever seen the fully trained Arthur fight; now he was going to see how he started out. They arrived to see Sir Leon and Gwaine training for combat.  
Arthur and Merlin joined the other nights against the fence as they watched. Arthur’s eyes were alight with excitement at the idea of getting to do what he was watching. When they were finished, the two men walked over to where the others were standing.

“You ready?” Sir Leon asked Arthur who nodded enthusiastically, “Alright, go with Percival and he’ll get you suited up.” Merlin watched them go and then turned back to Sir Leon.

“He was practically jumping up and down watching you two,” he said.

“Yeah,” Sir Leon smiled, “He was like that when he was actually a kid too. Always so excited to get going and start training.”

“You spent a lot of time with him when he a kid, didn’t you?” Merlin asked.

“The king had many duties to attend to so Arthur was left in my care much of the time. He had nannies, but he was usually either following me around or trailing after Gaius. Neither of us minded, he was a good kid,” Sir Leon paused, “It’s good for him… this second chance with his father. A relationship between the two of them was something he always wanted.”

“I can tell,” Merlin said, “It seems like it’s something the king wants as well.”

“It is,” Sir Leon agreed, watching Arthur and Percival walk back over to them, “There was always some form of guilt in the king over not spending time with his son. Ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Arthur said happily and they all laughed.

“Alright, let’s get started then,” Leon said, and for the next hour Merlin stood by and watched as the knights took turns teaching the young prince different sparing techniques. Eventually, the boy started to get tired so Sir Leon called it a day.

“You alright little man? You’re kind of pale,” Gwaine said, helping Arthur out of the armor.

“I’m fine, just tired,” Arthur said and Gwaine accepted this answer. Arthur said goodbye to the knights as they continued training and headed up to the castle with Merlin for dinner.

“Alright boys?” Gwen asked as they entered the hall for dinner, “How was training?”

“Alright,” Arthur said, sitting down at the long table.

“Just alright?” Gwen asked, looking up at Merlin.

“He did brilliantly,” Merlin said, “Leon and the rest of the knights were all really thrilled with how he did.”

“Well that’s great,” Gwen said happily, though she could tell something was off with the boy. Merlin and Gwen talked as Arthur ate his dinner and after half an hour, Gwen knew something was wrong.

“Is everything okay? You’ve hardly touched your dinner,” she said.

“I don’t feel well,” he told her, pushing his still full plate away. Gwen placed her hand on his forehead and frowned.

“He does feel a little warm,” she said to Merlin.

“Come on then,” he said, lifting the little boy into his arms, “You probably just overworked yourself training today. A good nights rest and you’ll be running around again tomorrow.” As Merlin tucked Arthur into bed later that night, he had no idea how wrong he was.


	15. Mysterious Illness

Merlin walked into Arthur’s room the next morning to wake the young prince.

“Arthur, wakey wakey,” he said quietly, sitting on the side. He brushed some of Arthur’s blonde hair off his forehead and frowned. Arthur was burning up!

“Gwen!” he called as she walked by the door and stuck her head in, “Can you get Gaius for me? Arthur’s sick.”

“Of course, I’ll be right back,” she aid, hurrying off. She returned a few moments later with Gaius and they rushed over to the bed. Merlin was holding piece of fabric to Arthur’s forehead. The five year old was now awake and looked completely miserable.

“I don’t feel good,” he said as Gaius took Merlin’s place on the bed and the servant stood to the side with Gwen,

“So I hear,” Gaius replied, “Let’s see if we can figure out what’s wrong.” Arthur sat there as Gaius ran through a series of tests, all of them leading to no   
result.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Gaius said, “He is clearly ill, but nothing is coming up as a definitive cause.”

“Could this be a result of the magic that made him age back?” Gwen asked.

“It’s possible,” Gaius replied, “I’m not sure there is any other option.”

“What do we do?” Merlin asked.

“Try to treat his symptoms as best we can until we figure out what’s wrong with him,” Gaius told them. Merlin and Gwen both nodded and sprang into action, doing whatever they could to lower Arthur’s temperature. They worked for hours, but to no avail. By mid-afternoon, the only change was that Arthur was gradually getting worse.

“I think someone needs to be sent to inform the king of what is happening,” Gaius said.

“I’ll go find Sir Leon and ask if he can do it,” Gwen said. Merlin watched her run form the room, hoping this second chance between Arthur and his father wasn’t about to meet a tragic end.


	16. Informing the King

“We should arrive tomorrow afternoon Sire,” one of the guards said.

“Very good, thank you,” Uther replied and the guard left the tent. The king sat and spent the next several hours looking over his scrolls and plans for the following day when the sound of hooves approaching made him pause.

“Sire!” he heard someone call and the king exited the tent.

“Sir Leon,” he said, surprised to see the knight, “What are you doing here? What’s happened?”

“It’s Prince Arthur, Sire,” Sir Leon replied, “He’s fallen ill.”

“Well surely Gaius can tend to him,” Uther said.

“He’s tried Sire, he’s run test after test with no result,” Sir Leon informed him, “Gaius can’t find a definitive cause for his illness so he, the servant Merlin, and the maid Gwen have trying to treat his symptoms and bring his fever down, but he’s only getting worse. Sire, it’s not good.”

The king took a deep breathe and stared at his most trusted knight, trying to decided what to do.


	17. Ailing Son

Gaius stood at the table in Arthur’s room, mixing concoctions to try and find something to make the young prince feel better. Sir Leon had left to alert the king and had yet to return. Merlin was sitting on the bed, holding a cool cloth on the back of Arthur’s neck, while Gwen slowly fed him soup. They were both hoping he’d be able to keep it down, but there was a bucket next to the bed in case his body rejected it like it had with everything else they had given him.

They were hoping the king would decide to return to Camelot and be with his ailing son, but none of them really knew for sure what he would do. A few moments later however, they all breathed a sigh of relief as Uther entered the room, followed closely by Sir Leon.

“How is he?” Uther asked and Merlin laid the boy down gently as Uther sat next to his son on the edge of the bed.

“He’s very ill Sire,” Gaius said gravely.

“Daddy,” Arthur choked out before he started coughing violently.

“Shhh, my boy, you’re aright,” Uther said quietly, “Come on now, sit up. That’s it, lean against me, everything will be fine.” Arthur slumped forward so he was leaning against his father and buried his face in Uther’s side.

“Do you know what’s wrong with him yet?” Uther asked and Gaius shook his head sadly.

“We don’t have any medicinal cause Sire,” Gaius said, “But we think this may have something to do with the sorcerer who changed him.”

“You think magic is doing this?” Uther asked.

“I’m afraid so sire,” Gaius replied. Uther nodded and then requested he be left alone with his son. Everyone else complied, and Gaius promised to return to check on Arthur later.

“Daddy I don’t feel good,” Arthur mumbled and Uther gently rubbed his back.

“I know you don’t my boy, but I promise you that everything will be alright,” Uther said, “Why don’t you lie down, hmmm?” The king helped his son lie down and then switched positions so he was leaning against the headboard. He ran his fingers through Arthur’s hair which was plastered to his fevered forehead with sweat and watched his son slowly drift into oblivion.

When Uther looked up, he got the surprise of his life when he saw a man standing on the other side of the room wearing a lock cloak.


	18. Strange Visitor

“Who are you?” Uther demanded, getting to his feet, ready to protect his son at any cost.

“My name is Salvatore and I am not here to harm you or Prince Arthur,” the man said.

“Then why are you here?” Uther asked.

“To explain to you why all this is happening to your son,” Salvatore replied.

“You – Did you do this?” Uther hissed.

“Indeed,” Salvatore said simply.

“I will have your head sorcerer,” the king said viciously.

“Oh I don’t think you,” Salvatore said, “For you see, I am the only one who knows how to turn your son back.”

“Then do it, change him back,” Uther demanded.

“No,” Salvatore replied.

“No?” Uther hissed.

“No,” Salvatore repeated simply, “I will not turn him back as I did this for your benefit.”

“My – my benefit?” Uther spluttered, “How is turning my son back into a child and then making him sick for my benefit?”

“You’re here aren’t you?” Salvatore said and Uther looked at him questioningly.

“Years ago, when your son was actually a child, would you have come back when he was sick? Would you have taken him out and spent the day with him? Would you even have thought to comfort him at night?” Salvatore questioned and Uther just stared at the man, not answering.

“No you wouldn’t,” Salvatore continued, “And you didn’t. Gaius took care of him when he was sick and took him around town with him. It was Sir Leon who took him out during the day and chased away his monsters at night. I did this for your benefit my Lord because now you have a second chance. Of course, this is partly for my own benefit too.”

 

“How so?” Uther asked suspiciously.

“I’m hoping you will see that not all magic is bad and that when it is used for evil, it is because of the person conjuring it and not the magic itself. Not all of use sorcerers are evil, King Uther,” Salvatore told him, “Some of us are just trying to live our lives the only way we know how. Now, I’ll be off. Tell Gaius to make some tea with honey and give that to the prince. If he drinks two cups of it tomorrow, one in the morning and one at night, and you keep him cooled off then he will be fine.”

“That’s all?” Uther said incredulously.

“That’s all,” Salvatore replied, “Everything that’s happening is a second chance for you. He got sick because you needed to have the chance to take care of him. So, just stay with him and give him some tea and he’ll be fine.”

“How much longer will he be like this?” Uther asked as Salvatore turned away.

“As long as it takes for me to be convinced you value being a father more than you value being a king,” Salvatore replied, “And you know my Lord, if you continue to try and hunt me down it will not end well. I am the only one who can turn him back and it will be done on my terms, not yours.”

“I understand,” Uther whispered and watched him leave. Uther stood for a moment, staring at the place where Salvatore had been. Suddenly, he heard a moan behind him and turned around.

“Hush, hush now,” he murmured, walking over and stroking his son’s forehead, “Hush now Arthur, its okay my boy. My son.”


	19. No Choice

Uther helped Arthur sit up in bed as Gaius carefully held the cup of honey tea to his lips. Arthur drank slowly, leaning his weak body heavily against his father.

“That’s it my boy,” Gaius said when Arthur had finished, “Merlin, I need to speak to the King, can you please keep Arthur cooled down?” Merlin nodded and took Uther’s place next to Arthur as he held a cloth to the boy’s face.

“What can I do for you Gaius?” Uther asked.

“I just had one question my Lord,” Gaius said, “You told e when I first came in this morning that keeping him cool and giving him tea with honey would cure him, so that’s what we’re doing. But I was curious as to where you had heard this?”

“The sorcerer who turned Arthur visited me last night,” Uther murmured.

“He was here?” Gaius said in shock.

“Yes, he told me he turned Arthur into a child to give me a second chance at being a father to him. He told me that he’s the only one who can turn Arthur back, but he won’t do it if we keep trying to find him. Just before he left he told me how to cure him.”

“So are you going to call off the hunt for him?” Gaius asked.

“I don’t have much choice,” Uther admitted reluctantly, “If I want Arthur to be turned back then I have to call off the guards.”

“I wish I could be of more help Sire,” Gaius said, but Uther waved him off.

“You have been plenty helpful Gaius,” Uther said, “Just continue tending to Arthur while I figure out what to do. I shall return soon.”

“Of course sire,” Gaius bowed and walked back over to the young prince and his ward.


	20. Calling Off the Hunt

"And how are you feeling this morning?" Gaius asked.

"A bit better," Arthur said, though he didn't sound much better, "Where's daddy going?"

"He's going to talk to the knights, but he'll be back later," Gaius told him, "Now, you try to get some sleep. Gwen should here soon to- ah, here she is."

"Hello Gaius, Merlin," she smiled, "Hello Arthur, how are you feeling today?"

"Alright," he said, "Gaius and Merlin gave me some tea that helped."

"He needs to stay cooled off and sleep plenty and then tonight he'll have more tea," Gaius said, "Merlin and I have other patients in town we need to attend to."

"Don't worry Gaius, I'll take good care of him," Gwen smiled. Gaius nodded and he and Merlin left.

"What did Uther need to talk to the knights about?" Merlin asked.

"He's calling off the hunt for the sorcerer," Gaius said.

"What?" Merlin said in shock, "Why?"

"The sorcerer visited him last night and told Uther how to make Arthur better," Gaius said.

"Hence the tea?" Merlin guessed.

"Exactly," Gaius nodded, "The tea, keeping him cool, and calling off the hunt were the three things that needed to happen in order for Arthur to get better."

"We need to find him!" Merlin exclaimed, "He's controlling everything and we're never gonna get Arthur back to normal!"

"I don't think anything we do will a difference Merlin," Gaius said gravely, "I think it's all down to the king now."

 

Uther stood in front of the knights and took a deep breath.

"I am calling off the hunt for the sorcerer," he said and the knights looked at each other in shock.

"Sire?" Sir Leon stepped forward, "I know we haven't found him yet, but if we keep searching..."

"It is not because you haven't him yet Sir Leon," Uther said, "I simply believe if we leave him be then the sorcerer will come to us. When that happens we will be able to arrest him and have him turn Arthur back."

"And... if he does not come to us, Sire?" Sir Leon asked. Uther stared at him for a moment before he turned and left the room.


	21. Back to Training

Several days later, the young prince was healthy again and back to training with the knights.

"Glad to see someone's feeling better," Gwen said, standing next to Merlin as they watched Arthur and Gwaine.

"Oh yeah," Merlin laughed, "I could barely keep up with him as he got ready this morning."

"Good," Gwen said and laughed at the look on Merlin's face, "Not good for you, but good that he's feeling better."

"Yeah," Merlin laughed, but the smile quickly fell from his face, "Look." He nodded in the direction of the castle and Gwen turned to see the king walking towards the training grounds.

"How's he doing?" Uther asked, stopping next to Sir Leon.

"He's doing excellent sire," Leon said, "We're taking it slow since he was sick for so long." Uther nodded and turned back to watch his son. He was what was coming before it happened. Arthur placed his foot in the wrong spot and next moment he was on the ground. Gwaine was beside him in seconds, lifting the young prince to his feet. Arthur was sniffing miserably and it was easy to see why. The knee of his trousers had ripped and blood was dripping down his leg. Gwaine called Merlin and Gwen over and Merlin ruffled the boy's blonde hair.

"You alright?" he asked and Arthur nodded, determinedly wiping away the tears in his eyes. Merlin smiled at him and lifted the boy into his arms, being wary of his injured knee.

"I'll get Gaius to clean him up," Merlin said, "Do it now before Arthur decides to run all over the place and makes it worse." Gwaine laughed and said goodbye to them before Merlin walked off with Arthur, Gwaine turned back to where the others were standing and his face fell when he saw the king.


	22. Even the Best Knights Fall

Gaius looked up as his door opened and Merlin walked in, Arthur on his hip.

"Now, what happened here?" Gaius asked, walking forward as Merlin set Arthur on the bench.

"I fell," Arthur said, "When I was training with Gwaine."

"I see," Gaius said, "Well, I'll have it cleaned up in no time." He had just turned to get some water and bandages when the door opened again and the king entered.

"Sire," Gaius said as he and Merlin bowed.

"Arthur," the king walked over to his son, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine daddy," Arthur said, "I fell on the training ground."

"I know, I saw," Uther said and Arthur's face fell.

"You did," he said, looking down at his lap.

"Hey now, what's wrong?" Uther asked.

"I didn't want you to see me fall," Arthur said, "I wanted to prove I was good at fighting."

"Arthur, just because you fell doesn't mean you're not good at fighting," Uther said, "Even the best knights fall."

"Really?" Arthur asked, looking up at his father.

"Of course," Uther chuckled, "I thought you were very brave when you fell." Arthur beamed at his father's praise and looked over at Gaius as the healer brought the supplies over.

"I need to clean the wound sire," Gaius said.

"I can do that Gaius," Uther said and Gaius looked at him in shock.

"Are you sure sire?" Gaius asked, "It's not trouble."

"It's fine Gaius, I'm sure you and Merlin have others to attend to," Uther said and Gaius nodded.

"Of course sire," he set the materials down next to Arthur and bowed to the king. Gesturing for Merlin to follow him, Gaius gathered his bag and left.

"Alright, let's see," Uther rolled up the torn trouser leg to get a view of the wound and winced internally. It was not a serious cut, but it was enough that Uther was surprised there had been no screaming and crying when it happened. He began cleaning it gently, Arthur whimpering slightly as his father's motions made the cut sting.

"Daddy that hurts," he said quietly.

"I know my boy, but it needs to be cleaned so it doesn't get infected," Uther said gently. He finished his ministrations, added the paste Gaius had made, and wrapped it.

"There, all better," he said, but Arthur's eyes weren't on him. They were focused over Uther's shoulder and when the king turned he saw Salvatore standing in the corner.

"What do you want?" Uther asked, stepping in from of Arthur.

"I am here to inform you that only one more test remains," Salvatore said.

"What do you mean 'one more test'?" Uther asked loudly and he felt Arthur grab the back of his tunic.

"I mean," Salvatore smirked, "You have one more test." He vanished.

"Daddy who was that man?" Arthur asked quietly, but Uther didn't respond nor did he move. What if he turned his back and the sorcerer returned?

"Daddy?" Arthur said again.

"I don't know," Uther lied, "But he's gone now and there's nothing to be scared of." He turned and hugged Arthur to him, but he couldn't stop thinking about what Salvatore had said.  
 _What did he mean by one more test?_


	23. On Patrol

"Arthur stop bouncing," Merlin laughed, but the little boy shook his head.

"I can't, I'm too excited!" Arthur exclaimed, "I'm going with daddy today!"

"I know you are," Merlin laughed, trying to finish getting the boy ready. The king had decided to take his some around some of Camelot's borders today. There had been no reports of anything bad happening and it had been so long since Arthur had been outside Camelot's walls.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Gwen asked, coming up behind Merlin, "That guy is still out there." He knew she was referring to the sorcerer who had changed Arthur was thankful the boy was not paying attention.

"The king wouldn't take him if he thought it was too dangerous," Merlin assured her, "Besides, there'll be tons of knights and guards with them." She nodded, still not wholly convinced, but she couldn't help laughing at the obvious excitement radiating off the boy. Merlin finally managed to get him ready and he took the boy's hand, leading him outside.

"Here we are," Uther said as Merlin and Arthur walked down the steps. Uther lifted his son onto his horse and climbed up behind him. He nodded at Merlin and then he and the guard rode off.

"Where are Sir Leon and the others?" Arthur asked.

"They rode off earlier, we're going to meet them on the road before we return," Uther told his son. Arthur nodded and smiled widely as they made their way out of Camelot's gates.

The day went along peacefully, with nothing strange or unusual happening. They were approaching their meeting place with Sir Leon and the others when everything suddenly went wrong as men jumped out of the trees, weapons swinging. The horses bucked and all the riders went flying. The knights clamored to their feet and drew their swords, ready to defend their king. Uther had gotten to his feet and immediately tried to find his son. He spotted Arthur a little ways away where the boy was peering out of a bush. All around him the knights were falling and Uther started to make his way over to his son. Before he got there though, he felt something sharp pierce his back. Uther fell to his knees and as everything started to go black he heard a voice screaming.

"Daddy!"


	24. Can You Help Him?

"Daddy!" Arthur screamed as he saw his father fall to the ground. He jumped out from his hiding place and a over. He dropped down next to his father and shook Uther's shoulder.

"Daddy, get up!" he cried, his vision blurred by his tears, "Daddy, please!" This couldn't be happening, it was just like his nightmare. He looked up and noticed one of the bandits had seen him and was making his way over.

"Daddy get up," Arthur shook his father's shoulder again, "Daddy please! He's coming!" But Uther didn't move and the man was now looming over Arthur. The bandit raised his sword and Arthur squeezed his eyes shut, putting his hands over his head as if that would protect him. But the blow never came. He looked up and saw the man seemed to be frozen in place. Arthur looked around and saw everything appeared to be frozen except for him.

"Hello Arthur," a voice behind him said and he turned suddenly to see a man standing behind him.

"I know you," Arthur said, "You're the man from the other night at Gaius'."

"I am," the man walked forward, "My name is Salvatore."

"What do you want?" Arthur asked.

"I think the real question is: what do you want?" Salvatore said.

"What do you mean?" Arthur questioned, confused.

"You father is hurt," Salvatore went on as if he hadn't heard Arthur.

"Can you help him?" Arthur asked immediately, turning to keep his eyes on Salvatore who was walking around them to stand on Uther's other side.

"I can," Salvatore said, "If you really want me to."

"Why wouldn't I want you to?" Arthur asked.

"You don't know this now, but your father is not a good man," Salvatore said.

"Yes he is," Arthur defended, "He's the bestest daddy in all of Camelot!"

"Not in your future," Salvatore told him, "In your future he is cruel and is not the man you think he is. He hates magic and it overtakes his mind and changes him. And that is why I changed you."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"Not you have a choice to make," Salvatore said, once again ignoring Arthur's question, "I can heal him if you really want me to, but there is the risk that he will still turn out to be a cruel man. Or I can leave him."

"But if you leave him he'll die," Arthur said quietly.

"He will," Salvatore nodded, "So you have a choice to make Arthur." Arthur stared at his father for a moment before looking up at Salvatore.

"Fix him," Arthur said.

"Are you certain that's what you want?" Salvatore asked.

"Fix him," Arthur repeated. Salvatore nodded, murmured a few words, and Arthur saw his father's wound start glow. He watched in amazement as his father stopped bleeding and smiled widely. But the smile soon turned to a look of confused as the magic moved from his father to himself. It swirled around Arthur and when it finally disappeared, so did Salvatore. Arthur looked around, but the strange man was nowhere to be found. He looked back at his father when he heard him groan and watched as his father's eyelids fluttered open.

"Daddy!" Arthur cried and Uther sat up just in time for Arthur to jump into his arms.

"Arthur, are you alright?" Uther asked, holding his son tightly.

"I'm okay daddy," Arthur mumbled, tightening his hold on his father.

"Sire!" someone shouted and Uther saw Sir Leon and the rest of the knights galloping towards them.

"Sire what happened?" Sir Leon asked, getting off his horse and rushing over to them.

"I'm not sure," Uther admitted, "I just woke up and..."

"Salvatore made the bandits go away," Arthur said and they all looked at him.

"Salvatore?" Sir Leon said, exchanging a look with the king, "What did he do?"

"He said he could fix daddy if I wanted him to cause daddy was hurt so I asked him to fix him. He did his magic and made daddy better and then he did magic on me, but I don't know why. Then he disappeared and the bandits were gone!"

"Spread out!" Sir Leon said, "See if he's still here!" The knights made to move, but Uther stopped them.

"Wait," he said and they turned to look at him, "We need to return to Camelot. I do not want Arthur out here if those bandits come back."

"Yes sire," Sir Leon said and then gestured for the knights to mount their horses again. They rode off for Camelot's walls, not noticing the smiling figure waiting in the shadows.


	25. Answering Questions

"You're not going to send Sir Leon and the others after that man, are you?" Arthur asked, "He saved you."

"No, I'm not going to send them out," Uther assured his son as he tucked the blanket around Arthur.

"Good, cause he saved you," Arthur repeated.

"They won't look for him," Uther said, "Now, get some sleep." He made to blow out the candle, but Arthur spoke again.

"Daddy?" Arthur said quietly.

"Yes Arthur?" Uther sat back on the edge of his son's bed.

"That man said some stuff about you," Arthur said, picking at a loose thread.

"What did he say?" Uther asked.

"He said you were a bad man," Arthur mumbled, "He you hate magic and then makes you hate everything and that when I get older you won't be nice to me." Uther was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out the right thing to say.

"He is right," Uther finally said and Arthur looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You don't like me?" Arthur asked, bottom lip trembling.

"Oh, my boy, of course I do, I love you. You're my son," Uther said, "I used to be very different though. My hatred for magic made me hate many other things."

"Like me?" Arthur asked.

"No, not you," Uther said, "I could never hate you. But I was never very nice to you and it probably seemed I did hate you. But I'll be better now."

"You will?" Arthur asked quietly.

"Yes Arthur, I will," Uther promised, "I'm going to be a better father and I believe it will make me a better king." Arthur stared up at his father for a moment before crawling into his father's lap and hugging him tightly.

"Alright, time for bed, come on," Uther said after a moment Arthur crawled back under the blanket.

"Night daddy," Arthur said quietly.

"Goodnight my son," Uther blew out the candle and slowly made his way over to the door. He looked back at his son who was already sleeping peacefully and smiled gently. He left the room and quietly closed the door. As soon as it clicked shut, the room started to glow.


	26. You're Back

Merlin walked into Arthur's chambers the next morning to help the prince get ready.

"Rise and shine Arthur," he said, opening the curtains, "It's a wonderful day out, no time to stay in bed." He turned and dropped the tray he was holding. Arthur shot upright in bed, rubbing his eyes.

"Merlin! What on earth are you doing?" he exclaimed.

"Sure! You're back!" Merlin smiled widely.

"What do you mean I'm back?" Arthur asked, "I never left."

"Well not really. You were still you, but you weren't you, you are a different version of you and-" Merlin rambled.

"Merlin?" Arthur cut him off.

"Yes sire?" Merlin said.

"Shut up and find me some pants."

"Of course," Merlin hurried over to the wardrobe and pushed the children's clothes out of the way, grabbing some clothes Arthur had worn before he had been changed.

"It's good you're back to normal sire," Merlin said, "I'm sure your father will be very pleased. But how did you do it?"

"Do what?" Arthur asked, confused as to what Merlin was rambling on about.

"Change back," Merlin said, "When you went to bed last night you were five years old."

"I-" Arthur was about to tell Merlin he didn't know what he was talking about when it all came rushing back. The bandit in the woods, his nightmare, training with the knights, getting sick, his father being attacked...

"Where is my father?" Arthur asked urgently.

"He's fine," Merlin assured him, "The sorcerer fixed him, remember?" Arthur nodded slowly as his memories trickled back. He looked up as Merlin placed the clothes on the end of the bed and then turned away so Arthur could get dressed. Arthur fumbled with his clothes, his hands felt big and awkward and it took him longer than usual to get dressed.

"Alright," Arthur said and Merlin turned back, "Let's go find my father." They walked out of his room and down the hall.

"So, you don't know how you managed to turn back?" Merlin asked.

"No clue, but I'm glad to be back," Arthur said. They reached the door to Uther's chambers and Arthur knocked. They waited a few moments and then Uther opened the door. The king stared at them in shock for a moment, not believing what he was seeing.

"It's really me father," Arthur said and Uther's face broke out into a grin.

"Arthur," he said and then pulled his son against him, "But how...?"

"I don't know," Arthur admitted, "I woke up this morning and I was back to normal."

"Well this is good news," Uther said happily and then looked at Merlin, "Go fetch Gaius, I want him to make sure my son really is back to normal." Merlin nodded and left at once and the king turned back to his son, clapping him on the back.

"Oh my son," Uther said, pulling Arthur to him again, "I am so glad to have you back."


	27. Epilogue

Arthur and Uther rode along one of the paths outside Camelot, talking and laughing.

"I'm so glad we decided to do this," Uther said, "It's good to get away from everything once in a while."

"Now there's something I never thought I'd hear you say," Arthur chuckled.

"Yes well, a lot has changed," Uther said, smiling at his son. Indeed it had. It had been an unspoken fear between those closest to the king that he might return to his old ways now that Arthur was back. However, they had been pleasantly surprised when the king had continued to be much kinder to the people of Camelot and especially his son.

Arthur had been pleased about this too. His father no longer treated him like a disobedient child, but rather he asked his son's opinion and actually considered what he said. Then there were days like today when the king didn't have a thousand things to attend to and he and Arthur could get away for an hour or so. They continued down the path in silence for a while more before a man suddenly appeared in their path. They both stopped suddenly and got off their horses cautiously.

"Who are you?" Uther asked the hooded stranger. The man slowly lowered his hood and Uther recognized him immediately.

"You," he said and Salvatore smirked at him, "What do you want?"

"I wanted to make sure all my hard work had no gone to waste," Salvatore said, eyes flicking to Arthur. Arthur looked between the man and his father before something in his brain clicked.

"You're the one who changed me!" Arthur exclaimed.

"I am," Salvatore nodded.

"Why?" Arthur asked.

"I changed you to change him," Salvatore said, nodding at Uther.

"To change me?" Uther said.

"Yes," Salvatore nodded again, "When I changed Arthur, he became dependent on you and in the time he was once again a child you have changed. If you had not bothered to look after your son in the way you did he would have remained a child. When you were attacked, Arthur made the choice to save you which told me he wanted you. If that was the case then you had to have done something right. You are not the same man you were before I changed your son Uther Pendragon." Uther stared at Salvatore for a moment before looking at his son.

"He is right," Uther said, resting his hand on Arthur's shoulder, "I am not the same man." Arthur smiled at his father and they both turned back to look at Salvatore. But the was gone.


	28. Author's Note

Alright, so I figured I would post this here for anyone who is interested.

I wrote a one-shot companion piece for this story that depicts the day out Arthur and Uther had in Chapter Ten: "A Day Out".

I had a few people tell me they would have liked to have actually seen what Arthur and his father did on their day out and then the inspiration for the one-shot suddenly struck me so I decided to write it.

It's called 'Best Day Ever' so if you'd like to read it you can go check it out.

Thanks so much and let me know what you think!


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